Ukraine gets in line for Swedish Gripen-E fighter jets

MILAN – Ukraine is inching closer to obtaining Swedish Gripen fighter jets as part of its year-long quest to acquire the fourth-generation aircraft type, which is designed to operate from austere airstrips.

Ukrainian and Swedish officials announced Oct. 22 the signing of a letter of intent for the export of up to 150 aircraft jets to Kyiv, which could provide the war-torn country with an advantage against a wide range of electronic-warfare and missile threats.

Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson said Ukraine had requested between 100 and 150 aircraft, specifically in the latest E variant, and that the Stockholm government was assessing different long-term mechanisms to finance such a large order.

During a press conference in Linköping, the hub for Swedish aerospace company Saab, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that the first Gripen deliveries could begin within approximately three years.

“We are talking about the latest generation, which was literally recently presented in Sweden, production is just beginning here. Therefore, we are talking about three years in practice,” Kristersson said on Wednesday.

Building and delivering 150 units to Ukraine could take ten years or more, he added.

Earlier this week, the Swedish Air Force F7 Wing became the first operational unit to receive and operate the Gripen E.

The E variant is the most advanced in the Gripen family of aircraft and is equipped with high-end electronic warfare capabilities, per the Saab’s website.

The jets could prove especially useful for Kyiv given the pressures of the war and the central role that dispersed aerial operations now occupy, allowing them to operate from shorter and more austere airstrips.

It would also provide the Ukrainian Air Force with the ability to perform air-to-air or air-to-ground combat missions over longer distances and with heavier loads.

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo was a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.

米兰——乌克兰正一步步接近获得瑞典“鹰狮”战斗机，这是其长达一年的采购第四代战机计划的一部分，该战机设计用于在简易机场起降。

10月22日，乌克兰和瑞典官员宣布签署了一份意向书，计划向基辅出口多达150架喷气式飞机，这将使饱受战争蹂躏的乌克兰在对抗各种电子战和导弹威胁方面获得优势。

瑞典国防部长帕尔·琼森表示，乌克兰已提出购买 100 至 150 架飞机的要求，特别是最新 E 型飞机，斯德哥尔摩政府正在评估不同的长期机制来为如此庞大的订单提供资金。

在瑞典航空航天公司萨博的总部所在地林雪平举行的新闻发布会上，首相乌尔夫·克里斯特松表示，首批鹰狮战斗机的交付可能在大约三年内开始。

“我们谈论的是最新一代产品，它最近才在瑞典发布，在这里才刚刚开始生产。因此，我们谈论的是三年的实际应用时间，”克里斯特森周三表示。

他补充说，建造和交付 150 套住房到乌克兰可能需要十年或更长时间。

本周早些时候，瑞典空军F7联队成为第一个接收并操作鹰狮E战斗机的作战单位。

根据萨博公司的网站介绍，E 型是鹰狮战机系列中最先进的机型，并配备了高端电子战能力。

鉴于战争的压力以及分散式空中作战如今所扮演的核心角色，这些喷气式飞机对基辅来说可能特别有用，因为它们可以让基辅在更短、更简陋的简易机场上进行作战。

这将使乌克兰空军能够执行更远距离、更重载荷的空对空或空对地作战任务。

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。